Arch Linux

Dheart

Member

From: Sofia, Bulgaria

Registered: 2006-10-26

Posts: 956

New notebook's manufacturer question...

Well I'm in position where I have to buy a notebook so I'm going to ask you which manufacturers are linux friendly and which do you recommend?

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dyscoria

Member

Registered: 2008-01-10

Posts: 1,007

Re: New notebook's manufacturer question...

This website is useful: http://tuxmobil.org/laptop_manufacturer.html

I can vouch for my Dell Vostro 1700. Works perfectly.

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mianka

Member

From: BE LEUVEN

Registered: 2006-05-30

Posts: 229

Re: New notebook's manufacturer question...

also http://www.linux-laptop.net

dhave

Arch Linux f@h Team Member

From: Outside the matrix.

Registered: 2005-05-15

Posts: 1,112

Re: New notebook's manufacturer question...

I always chime in with this same comment when this question comes up: most all model thinkpads are great Linux machines. I run Linux on four different Thinkpads, ranging from a T21 (from year 2001) to a couple of T43s (2006-07) and now a T61p (2008).

If you get interested, post a model type here and see what comments you get. There are plenty of "Linux on my T60", etc. sites on the web. Lots of good info. Some people haven't liked the ATI graphics that was included in some model Thinkpads, but I've never had trouble. The NVidia graphics in the newer T6x models works great, though.

Last edited by dhave (2008-06-29 23:37:59)

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Dheart

Member

From: Sofia, Bulgaria

Registered: 2006-10-26

Posts: 956

Re: New notebook's manufacturer question...

And also someone with intel x3100?
Can it play Frozen Throne/Heroes3/UT 2k4/BroodWar?
(because on the web I found that many had problems finding drivers for this specific Video Card...)

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rebugger

Member

From: Germany

Registered: 2007-10-28

Posts: 229

Re: New notebook's manufacturer question...

ive got a hp 6510b with a x3100... and it works perfectly with the x86-video-intel driver (which is always up-to-date on arch linux)

Stythys

Member

From: SF Bay Area

Registered: 2008-05-18

Posts: 878

Website

Re: New notebook's manufacturer question...

http://falcon-nw.com

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trx

Member

Registered: 2007-02-15

Posts: 38

Website

Re: New notebook's manufacturer question...

This website is useful: http://tuxmobil.org/laptop_manufacturer.html

I can vouch for my Dell Vostro 1700. Works perfectly.

(nearly) the same here. got a vostro 1510 and everything works like a charm (after downgrading the network driver)
so I think dell is quite a good choice.

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iBertus

Member

From: Greenville, NC

Registered: 2004-11-04

Posts: 2,228

Re: New notebook's manufacturer question...

http://falcon-nw.com

I know a guy that paid US $7000 for a machine from Falcon NW. I built a system with better specs for only US $3000. Seems they charge a bunch for their factory overclock and support. I also think it has some fancy lighting system and case design, but I'm happy with my Antec 900.

neptuneK

Member

Registered: 2008-06-03

Posts: 38

Re: New notebook's manufacturer question...

Arch works perfectly on my hp 6500t. It has a X3100. I'm not sure about UT , Heroes 3 .. but it sure can play Frozen Bubble . If you want to buy one with discrete graphics , I'd suggest you buy a laptop with a ATI graphics chipset. ATI /AMD is apparently doing a great job releasing open source drivers for their chipsets.

kclive18

Member

From: Columbus, Ohio, USA

Registered: 2008-05-08

Posts: 219

Re: New notebook's manufacturer question...

I beg to differ about AMD/ATI releasing good drivers for Linux; nvidia definitely has better Linux support (the ATI proprietary drivers won't even work properly on my laptop, and many ppl I know that use the ATI proprietary driver have a lot of problems).

Last edited by kclive18 (2008-07-09 18:13:30)

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Forum Fellow

Registered: 2006-11-26

Posts: 5,819

Website

Re: New notebook's manufacturer question...

ive got a hp 6510b with a x3100... and it works perfectly with the x86-video-intel driver (which is always up-to-date on arch linux)

+1

Was my previous laptop too, and almost everything worked out of the box. Wireless radio is a hardware controlled, so it's a breeze (plenty of laptops that need messy controls).

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Frem

Member

From: Longview, TX

Registered: 2005-02-27

Posts: 56

Website

Re: New notebook's manufacturer question...

I beg to differ about AMD/ATI releasing good drivers for Linux; nvidia definitely has better Linux support (the ATI proprietary drivers won't even work properly on my laptop, and many ppl I know that use the ATI proprietary driver have a lot of problems).

I have mixed feelings about buying an ATI card right now. On the one hand, AMD/ATI did release the full (or close to it) specs for their cards, so the open source drivers will improve drastically within the next few years. On the other hand, the current drivers, both free and closed, aren't terribly great right now.

So I'd like to support ATI for starting to support the Linux community, but I'd also like to buy a graphics card and not have to wait for a year or two for the driver support to get decent.

enrique

Member

Registered: 2005-10-25

Posts: 95

Website

Re: New notebook's manufacturer question...

Arch works fine on HP Compaq nx7300 (broadcom wireless a bit flaky) and my brandnew HP Compaq 6710b (Intel wireless and intel x3100 graphics).

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Kind regards, enrique

synorgy

Member

From: $HOME

Registered: 2005-07-11

Posts: 272

Website

Re: New notebook's manufacturer question...

Working well on a Sony PCG-GRT390ZP (what an awful product number)

Only problems are the Fn buttons, as some don't quite work properly.

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